The ConneXion
by SchizoInsanity
Summary: Sometimes we form connections with the most unlikely people. Whether it's someone you met over the internet or at a social gathering. Maybe he was your worst enemy and you were supposed to kill him but you just couldn't do it. (Real Summary Inside and Rating Will Go Up)
1. Chapter 1: Cuddling

**The Summary You're Looking For:**

This is just a series of prompts for Aiden/Defalt. I know, some of you might not like it but hey, it's fan fiction for a reason. Anywho, all the prompt ideas are pulled from various writing lists. So, don't go expecting to see them in a specific order because you will be disappointed. *nods*

Things will get sad, things will get intriguing (that means 'sexy'). I might even turn Aiden into a girl. Who knows?

This updates faster on a little site called 'Archive of Our Own'. My name over there is Machina (HeiressofMadness). I'm not even sure why it's two names but whatever! I like it~

**Enjoy~**

* * *

Cuddling was never really his thing.

The last time he remembered cuddling someone was when Lena was still alive. She loved snuggling up to her uncle Aiden's side with her stuffed lamb while he played a video game with Jackson or when they watched a movie together as a family. He could also remember making such a mess with the buttery popcorn and how his sister would scold him before telling him that he was going to clean it up or he wouldn't be allowed to sit on the furniture anymore. It had been a playful threat. He could still see her grin as she gently tugged on his ear. He missed those moments. Things were steadily becoming a bit more normal though.

Well, as normal as they can get. He thought as he glanced down at the small man in his arms. This was far beyond normal.

Aiden had been sent out to put an end to a hacker by the name of Defalt. He was a black hat hacker who worked against DedSec. He had caused him and his allies a lot of grief by stealing their blackmail and all other data. Clara and T-Bone told him that Defalt was a dangerous man who, like Aiden, could manipulate little flaws in the city; make pipes explode, control the traffic lights and so on. It wasn't hard trying to find the kid. He was performing in the Ambrose Theater. He was part of an art expo called Dot ConneXion, which featured many young digital artists. They had played their game of cat and rat. It ended with a rooftop encounter.

I could have easily pushed him off. I could shot him and ended it right there. But I couldn't. I couldn't let him go. I couldn't pull the trigger. Does that make me weak? Am I in the wrong for not ending him?

Aiden sighed as the grip he had on the DJ tightened. His thoughts were becoming more and more confusing. His inner conflict didn't go unnoticed. A soft pair of lips pressed against his cheek. He looked down and green eyes stared into the face that had been hiding behind a rat mask. Defalt, or JB, was young and very good looking. He had dark hair with streaks of color mixed in and neon blue eyes that glowed like the mask he wore. His body was small and it fit perfectly against Aiden's. But if anyone found out, especially T-Bone and Clara, he'd never hear the end of it. He'd be branded a traitor and Defalt would most likely be killed.

"You alright?" The younger hacker murmured. Aiden nodded as he buried his face into the soft locks, inhaling the lingering scent of cologne and sweat. "Aiden?"

"I'm fine, just too much on my mind," The vigilante whispered as he nuzzled the top of Defalt's head. "Don't worry about me."

With all that was wrong and all that could go wrong, he supposed there was nothing wrong with cuddling from time to time.


	2. Chapter 2: Fear of Loss

JB "Defalt" Markowicz was sitting cross legged on the chair at his desk. His chin was cradled by his hand and his knuckles were digging into his cheek. Neon blue eyes were trained on the computer screen that had a music program pulled up. They were filled with frustration and boredom. He had been trying to make a new song to play at his next show at the theater but so far nothing had popped in his mind.

"This sucks," He mumbled angrily. The black hat hacker finally had enough of being idle. He pushed away from the desk and the chair rolled across the floor, his feet dragged across the floor. "I fucking need some inspiration or something!"

Defalt rose from his seat and moved to the bed, collapsing onto the plush surface. He reached out and grabbed one of the pillows and buried his face into it, inhaling the scent that was clinging to the pillowcase. It was purely masculine and just so Aiden. He would admit that he never expected that he would be in any sort of relationship with the vigilante of Chicago, a man that he was supposed to torment and, if it ever came down to it, kill. He could have easily ended Aiden and Aiden could have easily killed him but neither of them did that. There was a heated exchange and a lot of cussing which led to an angry kiss and then some. The hacker's cheeks turned pink as he thought about his new partner.

I wonder how he's doing. JB rolled onto his side and grabbed the remote to the T.V. that was sitting on the end table. He turned the television on. It was already on the news channel and wouldn't you know it there was something about 'The Fox'. He sat up immediately when they started talking about a bad car crash and how two vehicles were dug up out of the water but only one body was recovered. It wasn't Aiden's. Blue eyes went wide with concern and fear. Without a second thought he reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. The next half hour found him sending text messages and dialing the same number over and over again. He whined when he got no response. His hands were now shaking uncontrollably and there was a stinging sensation burning at the corners of his eyes.

Aiden... answer your phone, please! Answer me! Send me a damn text message or something! I don't care what! The hacker was in a state of panic. His mind was filled with all the possible situations and none of them had good endings. Finally he got sick of staring at his phone and tossed it into a wall, watching it shatter before falling back onto his bed. He gripped the pillow that smelled like his partner and whimpered as he fought back the tears.

I'm not going to cry over that... that asshole! I was fine without him before! I don't need him now! I'm not- I'm not- ...Fuck. The tears started to fall. He buried his face into the soft fabric of the pillowcase. The hacker was so wrapped up in his emotional break down that he didn't hear the front door open and close. He didn't hear the footsteps coming into the bedroom. But what he did hear was heavy breathing. JB looked up and his eyes went wide.

"A-Aiden?" He stuttered out. The older just stood there and stared at him. His whole being was soaked, not an inch of him was dry. The young hacker was torn between crying from joy and yelling from all the worry. He went with the latter as his eyes narrowed and angry tears fell.

"Why the fuck didn't you answer your phone or send me a text message?" Aiden was well beyond the realm of confused but he didn't dare speak. Not until his partner got all of his rage out. "I've been sitting here watching the news and hearing about how you got into an accident and they pulled two cars from the water! The other fucker is dead but there was no word on you! What if you were dead? I'd have no way of knowing until your death certificate was made or something! Did you even think about that? Did you even think about how I felt?" There was silence after that but only for a moment.

"Are you done?" Aiden asked. Defalt didn't speak. He just stared at his lover with angry, tear filled eyes. "I couldn't call you because my phone is soaked and is in need of some repair, alright? I'm sorry, JB. And for the record, yes. I did think about how worried you could have been. All I could do was hope that I'd be here before you saw the news but I was too late in doing that. Can you please forgive me?"

"Of course I can, you idiot." JB's voice was just a whisper as he moved off the bed and walked right into his lover's arms, inhaling the scent of the water from the river and sweat. It wasn't pleasant but somehow it made him feel a little better. He didn't even care if his own clothes got wet. All he could think about was how close he had come to losing the one person in this world that understood him. The feeling sparked a certain something in the back of his mind.

* * *

The new song he played at the Ambrose Theater had been a hit with the crowd. It was slow and very bass-y in the beginning, very sad. Like the beat, people moved like water. It just flowed together. But near the end it picked up and became a bit faster, less bass and more keyboard. It was happier. It matched his mood right now as he leaned back against the figure standing behind him. He tilted his head back and grinned up at the older hacker, though it went unseen due to his mask.


	3. Chapter 3: It's Fun to Pretend

**So, I replaced the former Chapter 3. It was awful and a guilty pleasure of mine. Now it's gone and we have childish Defalt/JB! XD**

**This is a head canon where Nicky and Jacks come back to Illinois. Plus there's a cat. Don't like it? Well, don't read it. That's all I'm saying. This one is not being replaced. I refuse. ._.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

When JB woke up he realized two things. One, he was still naked and there was a slight pain in his lower back. Two, he was very much alone. He slowly sat up and looked around and saw that he was the room's only occupant. The only sign that there was another life sharing the apartment with him were the two pairs of clothes that were on the floor, no doubt one of them would be far too big on him. He huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Couldn't even leave me a freaking text message or a note or something! A letter!" JB whined as he flopped back onto the bed and rolled over. His blue eyes caught sight of a piece of paper attached to his cell phone that was sitting on the end table next to the bed. He blinked as he reached out and grabbed it. It was a note addressed to him.

_JB,  
I went to Jacks' birthday party. Make sure you eat real food and shower. Don't get into too much trouble. We're trying to stay off the radar for now, remember that.  
_  
The DJ noticed that it was signed with a familiar symbol: a fox head. He smiled as he traced it with the tip of his finger. It was true that he and Aiden were living on the down low in an apartment in the Mad Mile. Aiden originally wanted to move out to Pawnee but there was no way he was going to that backwater town. Too many militia people, not enough high tech stuff. But Nicky and her son had no problems living there.

They moved into a cute little house near the water and they were happy to have Aiden back in their life. JB could remember when his partner got that phone call. The older man had been worried about them being back in Illinois but his sister had reassured him that they would be fine but there were things that needed to be worked out. It was slow work but Aiden was trying. He still played hero sometimes but that life was mostly behind him. He sighed as he put the note back down and rolled out of bed. He grabbed one of the shirts and pulled it on. A familiar scent filled his nose as the shirt fell past his hips a bit. It was Aiden's shirt.

"Onward to breakfast," He said with a small grin as he walked into the kitchen. When he reached the fridge and opened it he realized that it must've been restocked recently because there was real food in there. The hacker grabbed the first thing he saw: a container of strawberries. It was real food so his boyfriend couldn't get on him about it. He flopped on the couch with his fruit, turned on the television and dug in. There was nothing on that held his attention until he reached some music channel that was currently playing all sorts of club music. The DJ sat there criticizing the work unmercifully.

"I could make better stuff than that."

"Seriously, those beats suck."

"How do these people listen to this crap?"

"My ears are bleeding!"

"I can't handle it anymore!"

Eventually the channel was changed to some nature channel. He groaned and leaned back. His belly was full and there was red juice on his face. He tried to lick it away but it was just out of reach. He pouted before glancing at the clock.

_It's 4:30... Aiden probably won't be back for a while. I guess I should shower. Ugh._

The hacker rose from his seat and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

"Aiden, you keep looking at your phone. Is everything alright?"

The former vigilante looked at his little sister, Nicky. Her arms were crossed and there was a look on her face that said 'this better not be what I think it is' and it wasn't. He just smiled and showed her his phone, proving that there was nothing going on. She grabbed it from his hands and looked it over.

"Well, if it's not what I thought it was then" She gasped and a grin formed on her face. "Is it a lover?" Her voice was a whisper and Aiden was grateful for that. He didn't want the kids or the other parents to hear him, especially the single mothers that had been eyeing him.

"My big brother has a secret lover." Nicky clapped her hands and started tugging on his sleeve like a child. "Tell me about her. Come on, what is she like? What woman could handle you?"

"Uh," The words 'it's a man' died on his tongue. He didn't know how Nicky would take it. He just got her and Jacks back. There was no way he going to lose her again over something like this. "She's great. Pretty childish sometimes but she's a sweet person. She's a DJ at a club."

"You'll have to bring her over sometime. I want to meet her," Nicky said as she playfully shoved her brother. "Give her some tips on how to handle my big brother."

Aiden just smiled and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder. He was pretty sure that if she met Defalt, things would get awkward. Really, really awkward. Hopefully that day wouldn't come so soon.

_I can only imagine how he'd get along with Nicky and Jacks._

* * *

Defalt was standing in front of the closet with a grin on his face. Hanging up were his boyfriend's various clothes. They all were relatively the same except for the colors. His favorite with the gray jacket that had the greet paint spatters and the blue long sleeve shirt. There were pants that matched the jacket but they would no doubt be far too big on him. It was tempting to put them on.

_You know what they say about people who fight temptation. Probably bad things._

JB reached out and grabbed hold of the shirt as well as the jacket. He pulled them on and laughed when he realized that they were huge on his body. They hung pretty low, the jacket just barely touching the ground and the blue shirt was a lot like the one he wore before the shower. He pulled on a pair of his own jeans and got a look at himself in the full length mirror. A grin spread across his face then started laughing.

"I am JB! The vigilante of Chicago!" He got down on one knee and made a gun gesture with his hands, uttering little sound effects under his breath as he shot invisible bad guys. "Better watch out, Blume! I'm out to get you!" He tucked and rolled over, lying on his side while making more sound effects. He started crawling on his belly and made his way out of the room and into the living room. A soft meow sound came from under the table. JB laughed as he pointed his finger at the cat.

"Pow, pow! I got you, Glitch!" The cat meowed and padded over to the human, purring as he started to nuzzle face Defalt's face. "Oh no! The Blume agent is executing tactics to lure the vigilante into a false sense of security and trust! We must stop him!" JB lifted the cat up and held him over his head. "The battle has been won! But this war is far from over!" The cat meowed.

"JB, what are you doing?" The DJ looked over and saw Aiden standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed, a look of curiosity on his face. "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

"How- How long have you been standing there?" Defalt sat up and let the cat go. A light blush painted his cheeks.

"Long enough to know that you shot Glitch, a suspected Blume agent." Aiden chuckled as he picked up the cat that was now rubbing against his leg. "Are you trying to steal our secrets, huh? Or is JB on some kind of trip?"

"Need to have some fun somehow." JB huffed and crossed his arms. The older hacker smirked and walked over, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his partner's head.


	4. Chapter 4: Let's Go for a Ride

JB had never ridden on anything that had less than four wheels. It was just a thing. Everyone had one of those, or maybe even a few. But it certainly wasn't a fear and he had told that to his partner, Aiden Pearce. Sometimes quite loudly and in the middle of the night while their neighbors were trying to sleep. The young hacker was impressed that there wasn't a hole in the wall yet from all the times that someone's fist had banged on the wall as a warning. Revenge was a bitch but that was beside the point. The point was that he would never get on anything that had less than four wheels. And yet, here he was in a difficult situation. He was torn between getting over his 'thing' and getting to work or calling the club and telling them that Defalt wouldn't be showing because of said 'thing'.

Aiden had promised to bring him to work since his car had been totaled in their little encounter that was almost a whole year ago. He had been all excited since the older hacker also agreed to hang around the club for a little while to have a couple drinks and enjoy the show, maybe even get a dance out of JB. But now that excitement was dead as he stared at the sleek, bright blue machine that was parked in front of him. Aiden was leaning against it with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. While it was a sexy sight it wasn't enough to lure Defalt onto the two-wheeled death trap.

"Would you suck it up already? It's just a motorcycle, JB. It won't kill you," Aiden murmured as he approached his young partner. He crouched down and placed his hand on JB's face, his thumb stroking his cheek. "Not while I'm driving it, I promise."

The affection was nice and it soothed his worry but he still refused. A soft whimper escaped his throat as he shook his head, his hands clinging to Aiden's coat sleeves tightly. He looked up at his partner with sad eyes that clearly showed he didn't want to do this. The older hacker sighed,

"It's either get on the bike or call out of work. I don't have time to contact Jordi and I'm not stealing someone else's car," Aiden said as he rose to his full height, pulling his young lover with him. JB glanced at the bike before looking at his partner again.

"You promise nothing bad will happen? I don't want my brains and blood painting the pavement or for my organs to be spilling out while I'm still clinging onto what little life is left. Do you understand me?" JB's eyes went cold. "I don't want this to be on the news that I was killed because-" Aiden placed his hand over JB's mouth.

"Do you really have that little trust in me?" The older hacker asked as he stared into his partner's eyes. Those blue irises went wide and the hurt could be seen. He let go of Aiden's sleeves and grabbed the hand that was keeping him silent. The hurt melted away and that was all the former vigilante needed. He pressed a kiss to the back of JB's hand and led him over to the bike. Aiden climbed on and though there was a moment of hesitation, JB got on behind him. He made sure his bag was secure against his back before wrapping his arms tightly around his partner's waist. The DJ went through a series of reactions.

When the engine roared to life, he whined and held tighter. When the machine moved forward and he jerked back a bit, a part of him died a little inside. When Aiden kicked the machine into the next gear and picked up speed, he cried a bit into his partner's back. This was a fear. He was afraid. Each sharp turn taken, each hill they flew down brought him closer to the brink of breaking down. But he trusted Aiden.

Time flew by quickly but not quick enough in the mind of the DJ. When they finally parked in front of Ambrose Theater he felt relieved and when his feet touched the ground he wanted to kiss the pavement. Aiden turned the machine off and wrapped his arms around JB to whisper in his ear,

"I promise I'll get a car next time."

"I know you will," JB said as he turned and got on the tips of his toes, pressing their foreheads together. "I trust you."


	5. Chapter 5: Connected

**Here's the next chapter. **

**This one goes into depth about how they got together. It's a little weird but you know what? I don't regret a thing! *flips a table* No regrets!**

* * *

For Chicago, it was a pretty quiet night. The only sounds that could be heard were cars and their obnoxious horns, the occasional screaming drunk or angry pedestrian and some cats yowling in the nearby alleyways for food or just to hear themselves whine. It would be pretty peaceful if it weren't so disturbing to Aiden. He was just lying in bed, relaxing in his boxers without a care in the world and the man he loved in his arms. The vigilante glanced down at the other body occupying the somewhat comfy bed.

_I gotta be honest, I never expected this to be a thing. _He thought as he pulled the smaller body closer. It was warm and squishy. There was a slight huff from his partner as he readjusted himself against Aiden's side. It made the older man chuckle. He knew no one could blame him for thinking something like that. What was one supposed to think when they get with someone who was formerly their enemy? It had been so strange really but not entirely unwelcome.

"Aiden, are you alright?" The voice startled him from his thoughts. He refocused his attention on the smaller man. A man he had come to know as Defalt, though his real name was JB Marcowicz. Behind the rat mask was a rather gorgeous face that had bright blue eyes and lips that could form the cutest pouts or the sweetest smiles, sometimes the cockiest of smirks. His hair was dark, almost black, with random streaks of blue and it was very soft to the touch.

"Aiden!"

"Sorry, JB. I was just thinking about how you and I... you know, got together." Aiden didn't bother trying to hide it. Why try? It was a strange and eventful night for the both of them. The young DJ blinked and a light blush painted his cheeks as he seemed to recall the same memory.

"Aiden, can I ask you something about that night?" JB whispered softly.

"What is it?" Aiden was genuinely curious.

"Why didn't you end me? You could have easily pulled the trigger or just pushed me off the edge and put an end to my life but you didn't. I want to know why." Aiden sighed as he closed his eyes and buried his face in those soft, dark locks. He was remembering rather clearly what happened that night.

* * *

**Memory Sequence**

* * *

His finger brushed against the button so fast and without a second thought. The blockers that were dead ahead went up and the car that his target was driving smashed into them. It did a forward flip and landed on the other side. Aiden's car came to a screeching halt as he slammed on the brakes and when he exited the vehicle he could see smoke and fire. His eyes widened a bit. The vehicle was about to explode but there was no sign of movement.

_I did it. I killed him. I- Wait a minute._ His thoughts were cut short when he saw a bit of movement in the car. Someone was crawling out. From where he was standing he could tell it was Defalt. The mask was a dead giveaway. _Shit. He's not dead! I need to end this._

The game continued as Aiden hauled it towards the DJ. The kid took one quick look at him before bolting down the street. The vigilante chased him after him with his phone at the ready, prepared to burst a valve or set off an explosion to throw Defalt off but he was quick and obviously a couple steps ahead but that didn't stop the older hacker. People are jumping out of their way, screaming and shouting, some were even snapping pictures or recording the chase. The black hat hacker took a sharp turn down an alley and when Aiden followed he saw that the kid was no longer on the streets but swiftly climbing up onto the rooftops.

_He's not getting away that easily._ Aiden growled in his head as he started ascend the latter. When they reached the top there was nowhere else to run, not unless Defalt planned on jumping and ending his own life. The vigilante doubted that would happen. He took a step towards the DJ and pointed his gun at him.

"There's nowhere else to run," Aiden said in a deadly tone. "I've finally cornered the rat of Chicago." Defalt held his hands up as he backed up towards the edge of the building. "You won't jump."

"You don't know that, Aiden Pearce. I've got nothing else to live for! You have what you want and I'll be targeted in no time. I'll probably be dead before the end of the week if you don't kill me first," Defalt said. His voice was soft with a hint of an accent that Aiden just couldn't place. His green eyes went wide when the rat mask was removed. Behind it was a face that looked defeated. "Go ahead and end me, Pearce. If anyone is going to kill me, I'd like for it to be the Fox."

"You give up far too easily, like a coward." Aiden practically ran at the kid, his hand instantly wrapped around his throat and forced him closer to the edge. The barrel of the gun was pressed to his temple. If the vigilante let go then the DJ would fall to his death and then it would be over. Defalt wasn't even putting up a fight. He just stared at Aiden with piercing blue eyes that looked ready to accept whatever came his way. It pissed the older man off.

"Why aren't you putting up a fight?"

"You have a gun to my brain and if you let me go then the pavement is the last thing I'll see in this world. Perhaps if I land on my back your face will be the last I see." Defalt laughed softly. "That wouldn't be such a bad thing." His words made something stir deep in Aiden's stomach but he shook it off. The kid was a manipulator.

"Don't think I'll grant you that satisfaction," Aiden murmured as he leaned in close. Defalt continued to stare at him with this content smile on his face. The vigilante was startled from his anger when he felt two very shaky hands touch the mask hiding the lower part of his face. "What are you doing? Stop touching me! I'll pull this fucking trigger!"

"Make me stop, Pearce. Do something about it," Defalt whispered as his fingertips wrapped around the hem of the fabric and started to pull it down. "I'm waiting."

Aiden growled. He couldn't pull the trigger and he couldn't let the kid go. When he tried his hands just froze up. So, as a last ditch effort he pulled the DJ away from the edge and tossed him away, sending him sprawling on the rooftop. They were both equally confused but only one dared to speak,

"What are you doing? You wanted to kill me, didn't you? So why didn't you kill me? Fucking shoot me or something!"

"I can't, so shut the hell up!" Aiden tossed the gun aside and rubbed his face angrily. He didn't even know why he couldn't do it. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to kill the hacker but he just couldn't do it. Something told him it was wrong, that he shouldn't cut someone's life short, like how Maurice cut Lena's life short. He dropped to his knees while clutching his head and sighed. "I just can't do it."

Defalt was confused a bit himself. He could see the pain and the conflict written on the older man's face and while he normally would have enjoyed it, it actually broke his heart a little bit. He rose to his feet and approached Aiden, his hand touching the top of the hat that covered the vigilante's head. Their eyes met and nothing was said. Defalt lowered himself to the ground. His hand fell from the hat and down to Aiden's shoulder while the other pulled down the face cover, the tip of his index finger brushed against dry lips.

"I wasn't lying when I said that seeing your face before I die wouldn't be a bad thing," Defalt murmured softly before doing the unthinkable. He took a daring step and pressed his lips against Aiden's. The older hacker was stunned. His mind told him to push the kid away but instead he grabbed him by his arms and pulled him closer, turning the kiss from gentle to viciously passionate. Things went from there pretty fast.

They ended up back at one of the hideouts scattered across the area, clothes were tossed aside, words were said and the next morning, Aiden woke up with Defalt curled up next to him. There was a smile on the kid's face. The only thing that was out of place was his phone that had the profile app opened up. It was aimed right at Defalt. Curious, he grabbed it.

_Name: JB Marcowicz  
Age: 25  
Profession: DJ, Professional Hacker_

The note below the information made Aiden chuckle.

_You're stuck with me now, Pearce._

* * *

**End Memory Sequence**

* * *

JB was still waiting for an answer. His fingers were idly drawing random patterns on his partner's chest. He jumped a bit when Aiden finally broke the silence.

"I could have killed you that night but I just couldn't bring myself to do it," Aiden whispered softly as he ran his fingers through JB's hair. The DJ practically purred. "I didn't want to cut such a young life short. I didn't want to be like the people who killed Lena."

"But you could have done the world a favor by killing me. Hell, I'm a target now. So one way or another I'm going to die," Defalt confessed. He wasn't going to hide the fact that he had done a lot of bad things for a lot of horrible people. There was also no hiding that he was a wanted by many, including Aiden's allies. Someone would find him and they would kill him.

"JB, I want you to realize that I could have done a lot of things in my life. Whether it was for the greater good or not. I don't regret what I've done so far. The only thing I regret is getting Lena killed and breaking my family apart." Aiden glanced down at his young partner. "I won't regret you."

A light blush appeared on JB's cheeks and in an effort to hide it he buried his face into Aiden's chest. The older man chuckled as he pressed a kiss to the top of the kid's head.

"In computer terms, we're connected now."

"That is the corniest thing I've ever heard! Don't you ever say it again, Aiden Pearce!"


	6. Chapter 6: Sound of Forgiveness

**I'd like to thank auraspirit157 for inspiring this one. Hopefully I'll do this idea some justice!**

**I threw in an extra character of mine because well, Defalt needs a friend to cry on. We all do. **

* * *

Aiden groaned as rolled over, shoved his head under a pillow and softly cursed under his breath, damning the early risers of Chicago to a painful death. The sounds of horns and shouting were like nails on a chalkboard to the vigilante at the moment. He started to silently punish himself for letting himself be lured out to a bar by Jordi, Clara and T-Bone. There were no promises of anything and there wasn't a gun to his head, though Jordi could have easily had one hidden on him somewhere.

_How much did I drink exactly?_ He mentally asked himself. Probably more than he should have. But they were insistent that he cut loose a little and have some fun. There was no need to always be so uptight and serious. So, they went a little bar located in Brandon Docks and had some drinks. Aiden didn't remember a damn thing.

_Just...fuck all this. I'm never going to drink with them again. Next step, find my phone and hire a fixer to take them all out for doing this to me._

Aiden slowly rose up from the bed and rubbed his eyes. He looked over to his left and saw his phone sitting on the end table. He grabbed it and opened it up to see that he had a few missed calls and text messages from his sister, Clara and JB. The vigilante tilted his head as he brought up the text messages from his partner. A smile formed on his face.

**From: JB**  
_Aiden! I hope you have fun drinking! Lol It's about time you relaxed.  
(Sent at 9:14 pm)_

**From: JB**  
_Aiden... when are you coming home? The bed's cold._  
_(Sent at 1:56 am)_

**From: JB**  
_Seriously... where are you? Did you stay with one of them?_  
_(Sent at 8:49 am)_

The last one was the one that got him because when he glanced at the clock on his phone. It was only 9:22 in the morning. If he wasn't at home with JB then where was he exactly? It confused the vigilante, even more so when the covers on the bed started to shift and he wasn't even moving. Aiden was almost afraid to look over.

_Please, please tell me I didn't do what I think I did._ He inwardly screamed at himself as he turned his head to the right and saw a mop of messy hair that was far too long to JB's. Panic and horror filled him as he realized that he had done what he didn't he want to do: He had betrayed his partner during his drunk state of mind.

_How the hell could I do this? JB is going to kill me! I'm going to kill those assholes... slowly and painfully._

Just as he was about to get up an arm was thrown across his lap. He finally got a look at the face of the one he had slept with. It was a pretty attractive woman. There was a silly grin on her face. Aiden brought up her information on her profiler and saw that she was a night walker, a prostitute. He had cheated on his boyfriend with some cheap Chicago whore?

_This is definitely not happening. It can't be!_ Aiden thought as he shoved the woman away and started to look around the dirty room for his clothes. He ignored her pleas to come back to the bed as he yanked on his pants then his shirt and jacket. They reeked of alcohol and cheap perfume. He grabbed his hat and his phone and fled out the door. Just as he made to the bottom of the stairs his phone went off again. He looked at it and saw that it was an unknown number.

**From: Unknown  
**_Aiden Pearce... you've betrayed my best friend. What you did is unforgivable and if you ever come near him again I'll do things to you that you didn't know were possible._  
**Attachment File: Pic **  
_(Sent at 9:34 am)_

When he opened the file and his eyes widened. The picture was of him and the woman that was still in the room he had just left. She was sitting in his lap with her arms around her neck and lips to his cheek. Aiden's hand was resting on her hip and there as a goofy, drunken grin on his face. Guilt washed over him.

_How did JB see that? Who even took the picture? Let's see if I can figure this out on my own. _Aiden concentrated hard on his phone as he started to trace the origin of the picture on his phone. A phone number and a familiar face came up. It was Jordi. Of course the fixer was behind it. Aiden groaned as he tucked his phone into his pocket and began to hunt down an abandoned vehicle he could _borrow_ so he could get home and make things right with JB.

_First, I need to make a stop._

* * *

Nicky was a bit surprised when her brother showed up on her doorstep. It was an unexpected visit but not unwelcome. Jacks had been so happy to see his uncle. The young boy practically charged at him. Aiden grinned and hugged his nephew tightly. They had seen each other last weekend but it felt like forever. Nicole patted her brother on the back and opened her arms, demanding a hug too.

"This is very unlike you, Aiden. You usually call or something." They broke apart and she looked at him suspiciously. He just grinned a bit though deep down he was hurting. "What brings you here? Is there anything wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong, I promise. I'm here because I'm looking for something. I know we brought it here when we made, you know, the big move." He was referring to their move from Ireland to Chicago. "I haven't seen it since-" His words died but Nicky knew he meant Lena's death.

"What are you looking, Uncle Aiden?" Jacks asked as he tugged on his uncle's sleeve. The vigilante smiled and crouched down to his nephew's size.

"Do you remember when you and Lena were both really little and how you couldn't sleep at night sometimes?" Jacks looked like he was struggling to remember but then he nodded his head. "Well, do you also remember how you got to sleep?"

"I think so, yeah. Mom used to call you up and ask you to come over and-" Jacks' eyes widened. "You're looking for your guitar! I know exactly where it is! Mom keeps it in her closet. She wanted to put it in storage but I told her no!" The kid bolted off down the hallway leaving his mother and his uncle in the living room.

"Aiden, you haven't played that thing in over a year. The last time you played it was at Lena's sixth birthday." Nicky had a sad smile on her face as she remembered when her brother played the instrument and Lena did her little dance for anyone who watched. "So, are you doing to tell me what's going on? Why do you need your guitar?"

"Look, Nik... I fucked up bad. I cheated on my partner," Aiden mumbled. Nicole's eyes widened. She was about to hit her brother for being such a pig but she saw the look on his face. It was heart breaking. "I want to make it up to h-her." He almost let it slip that he was dating a man.

"And where does the guitar come in?"

"She's always wanted to hear me play it but I've always denied her for whatever reason. The excuses aren't good enough. So I thought that maybe if I played it for her she'll forgive me," The vigilante whispered softly. "It's worth a shot, right?"

As those words left his mouth Jacks came running out with a black case. He held it out for his uncle with a smile. Aiden accepted it with a soft thank you and patted the boy on the head. He looked at Nicky once more. She smiled and hugged him tightly, whispering softly in his ear,

"He'll forgive you."

A kiss was pressed to his cheek and they broke apart. Aiden stared at his sister with shock. She had figured it out despite his attempts to cover it all up. The vigilante backed away slowly before walking out. Before the door closed he heard her voice again,

"Bring your partner around sometime! Jacks and I want to meet them!"

* * *

JB had left a friend's house not that long ago. Her name was Aleks and she was a fellow hacker as well as the bartender at Dot ConneXion. They were pretty close. He had run to her for comfort and showed her what he had found. She had promised to do bodily harm to Aiden but he begged her not to. She settled for a violent text message. The subject was dropped afterwards. They shared a cup of tea, played a few video games and even made a bit of music together. Then he left with a promise to give her a call later on in the week. Now he was sitting on the floor in his old apartment with his back pressed against the wall.

There was nothing left to it really except for a few holes where his DedSec poster used to hang and a few pieces of furniture covered in a thick layer of dust. The DJ sighed as he hugged his legs tightly and rested his forehead against his knees.

_I was a fool to think that I could have had him for myself. I should have known that he'd want to do better than me eventually. I mean, he's the vigilante. Of course he'd want a beautiful woman. I'm just... a no good rat. _Defalt hated thinking this way but it couldn't be helped. He thought that the relationship he had with Aiden was special, that they would actually last.

"I should have know better," He whispered to himself.

A few moments passed. The room was silent save for his soft breathing. Even his mind went quiet. There wasn't a thought floating around in his mind. He just sat there with his sadness as company. A few times he thought he was going to fall asleep and he had debated giving in. There was no way he going to go back to the apartment in the Mad Mile.

_Even if all my stuff is there. God damn it, I at least need to get my-_ His thoughts were cut short by a strange sound. _Is that, is that a guitar I hear?_

JB slowly got to his feet and approached the window. He peered down and looked around but there was nothing to be seen. So, he opened it up and found the sound was actually a lot closer than he assumed. The DJ looked up.

_Is it coming from the roof? _Defalt didn't even bother with shutting the window as he walked out of the apartment and headed for the roof. When he reached the door he hesitated for just a second before grabbing the knob and tearing it open. He didn't have to go far. Sitting dead ahead was Aiden's familiar figure. The man was sitting with one leg crossed over the other and in his hands was an acoustic guitar. His fingers were manipulating the strings with such finesse. The sound was beautiful.

Aiden didn't even look up as JB approached him. The DJ sunk to his knees and listened to the music the vigilante created. He knew his partner could play but he didn't know it was this level of expertise. It was stunning. He could hear the apology in the notes. Was Aiden doing this because he was guilty? Was he asking for forgiveness through music? JB didn't know at the moment. His eyes were fixed on the way those fingers plucked the strings, it was almost too natural, like the way he handled his smartphone. There was no hesitation, no doubt, just confidence and talent. The music finally stopped and their eyes connected.

"JB, I'm-" Aiden was silenced by Defalt's fingertips.

"Don't say another word," Defalt whispered as he carefully took the guitar and set it aside. He straddled his partner's lap and wrapped his arms around the older man's neck tightly. "I forgive you."

"I still want to say-" His words were killed by a quick, passionate kiss.

"Don't say a word. Just keep playing for me," Defalt whispered as he re-positioned himself on Aiden's lap so he was sitting sideways. It allowed the vigilante to pick up the guitar and he began to play once more.


	7. Chapter 7: Blackout

**Alright, so here is another chapter for the Connexion. I was going to post it as a stand alone type thing but decided against it.**

**Two of my own original creations appear: Aleks (Real name is Alexandra) and Pixel (not her real name). I know Aleks and Aiden might interact a lot in this particular chapter but mostly because I want to get how their interact with each other out there. (nods) So, deal with it. I'm not editing this again. I refuse! (flips a table)**

**Without further ado... Enjoy!**

* * *

"Looks like it's going to rain."

"Doesn't look like it's going to be a fun storm."

"Probably lose power or something."

"I was going to go to Dot ConneXion but I think I'll pass tonight."

Aleks was standing in her spot in an alleyway when she heard those all those words muttered by citizens that were passing by the little coffee shop she was leaning against. The warm beverage that was cradled in her hands was briefly forgotten as her attention was turned to the sky. The already black sky was becoming darker, if that was even possible. The stars were slowly fading and the silver orb was being swallowed by dark clouds rolling in from the distance. They did not promise good things.

"Fuck," She said softly as she quickly turned down and started started making her way down the alley. While one hand continued to hold the coffee the other reached into the messenger bag hanging off her shoulder. Her slim fingers wrapped around a phone and she pulled it out to read the time. It was only _12:54 _in the morning. She was on her break doing a quick coffee run while another bartender at Dot ConneXion covered her. Now she wished she hadn't.

"I need to get back to work and shut the damn party down."

Aleks power walked down the alleyway until she reached the very end and looked both ways. When she was sure that there were no vehicles coming she quickly made her way across the street and ducked into another alley. As she made her way through a streak of lightning appeared across the sky. It lit up the alley and made her curse some more. She started to run as rain suddenly poured from the sky. It was like someone broke open a dam.

"I hope he has the fucking music cranked," She said to herself as she turned down another alleyway. A loud boom of thunder and a louder crack of lightning stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes were glue to the sky as the loud noises became more frequent and the winds started to blow harshly. She shuddered a bit. Chicago had seem some pretty nasty weather but it never escalated so quickly before. She looked down at her phone again and saw a text message from the other bartender.

**From: Pixel**  
_Hey, I hear things outside that shouldn't be heard. It's only a matter of time before the rat hears them too. Come quick and help me shut down the party._  
_(Sent at 1:03 am)_

**To: Pixel  
**_I'm trying to get there as fast as I can but this storm is causing chaos in the streets. Make sure the music is cranked and the drinks are still flowing until I get there. I don't want him to panic with all those people there.  
(Sent at 1:05 am)_

**From: Pixel  
**_Can do, Alek5.  
(Sent at 1:06 am)  
_  
Aleks tucked her phone back into her bag and stepped out of the alley. A sudden gust of wind and a crack lightning deafened her for a moment. She dropped her coffee to cover her ears, her eyes were shut tight. When she uncovered and cracked open an eye the the expensive latte that was splashed across the pavement wasn't her concern. It was the sound of sirens and people screaming. It was the fact that suddenly the area was plunged into darkness. A blackout.

"Please just let there be a wire down somewhere. Anywhere but near the club," She whispered as she composed herself and bolted across the street with reckless abandon. Car horns honked as people slammed on their breaks or swerved so they wouldn't hit her but she didn't care. She just knew she had to get back to work right away.

* * *

Defalt's hands were frozen as they hovered over the records and the controls on his equipment. He didn't hear that terrifyingly familiar sound outside the club, right? It was just a figment of his imagination. The tips of his fingers brushed against the records and it made a sick beat that he loved hearing. His body was still moving a bit to the sound as he watched his audience dance to his music but he noticed a few were standing in a dark corner. They were talking and pointing at the door for a moment before heading towards it. As they walked out of the club he felt a cold chill brush against his skin and along with it came wetness. He reached up and touched his cheek.

"Rain," He whispered as he stared outside. He saw a flash of light that didn't come from a car or even a flashlight. No, this definitely came from the sky and so didn't the sound that followed it. Defalt tried to focus on his set but found it difficult due to the small nagging feeling in the back of his head. It was slowly growing. "It's alright, JB. Nothing bad can happen to you while-" The lights started to flicker and the whispers became louder.

He whispered 'no' continuously to himself as he started to back away from his set. A loud of crack lightning managed to break through the barrier that his music was making. The flickering became more frequent until finally everything shut down. People started to panic, even him. JB turned and started to run. He bumped into someone and the mask fell off but he didn't care. He continued running deeper into the club, pushing past people until he ducked into one of the side rooms.

"This isn't happening," He whispered as he covered his ears, trying to block out the sounds. "Why the hell am I hiding? I need to get the hell out of here! I need to find Aiden!"

JB quickly got to his feet and tried to push the door open but it wouldn't budge. His eyes widened with fear and he started to slam his whole body against it but nothing changed. He whimpered and banged upon it with his fists,

"Someone help me! Please!"

Nobody heard the DJ's cries for help. Nobody cared about the heavy equipment that had been knocked over during the chaos. Nobody cared that it was in front of the door, blocking the poor man's way out. Nobody could hear him because the room was soundproof and when he finally realized it he broke down.

* * *

As Aleks drew closer to the area where Dot ConneXion was located she started seeing red and blue lights. She pressed her body against a building and peered around the corner. She was across from the club. It gave her the perfect view of what was going on at the moment.

There were cruisers blocking off the roads. Cops were re-directing traffic and guarding the alleyways, preventing anyone from getting close. People were standing around, snapping pictures and recording videos. Her eyes widened when she saw that the power lines were down and they were awfully close to the club entrance. Aleks could hear screaming coming from beyond the doors. Were they all stuck inside? She scanned around and saw one cop on his phone. In an instant she grabbed her phone and hacked the conversation.

"...This one gods awful storm. We just had that blackout at the stadium and now this one too."

"Jeez, what the fuck is happening to this city? Well, what's the status over there? I need to start the report."

"The source of the blackout is at the Ambrose Theater. A lines are down and a couple transformers exploded, looks like they got struck by lightning. But we've the got roads and alleys closed off. The club is obviously shut down but there are people inside. We can't get them out until this power line issue is dealt with. We don't want- Oh shit!"

"What? What's going on over there?"

"Keep those doors closed! Don't let anyone! Fuck!"

The conversation was cut short and Aleks was witnessing why. People were starting to force their way out of the club but there were consequences. The ground was soaked and there were live lines dangling all around. She looked away when she heard a screech of pain and started texting Pixel again.

**To: Pixel**  
_Please tell me that you two are alright. Please..._  
_(Sent 1:24 am)_

**From: Pixel**  
_Well, I'm alright. I had the patrons that aren't storming the doors hide under the tables. But I can't find Jay. All I found was his mask near his equipment._  
_(Sent 1:25 am)_

**To: Pixel**  
_Just help the patrons get out. Use the backdoor and direct them towards the cops then get the hell out of there. We'll talk more later._  
_(Sent 1:25 am)_

**From: Pixel**  
_What about Jay?_  
_(Sent 1:25 am)_

**To: Pixel**  
_Let me worry about him. So get moving before we lose more people. NOW!  
(Sent 1:26 am)_

Aleks waited a few moments, though she knew it was risky. She wanted the building to be cleared out so that the cops would leave. Or at least start clearing the area. If their priority was the patrons then she would help move things along a little more quickly. There was a backdoor the club that only employees were allowed to use but it was a great escape for their patrons. Her eyes were trained on a particular alleyway. It only took another few minutes before she started seeing bodies rushing out. Cops were on them immediately. A little flash of light caught her attention and saw that Pixel was running away from the chaos.

_Alright, good. Now to call in a professional rat finder._ Aleks clicked a button on her phone and dialed a number. After a few rings,

"Hello?"

* * *

Aiden was hiding behind a rock formation with his phone pressed against his ear. His phone had started ringing during a little side assignment of his own. He was about to ignore it when he saw the face of Aleks on his phone, letting him know that it was her trying to reach him. He chuckled at the picture. She was sitting on his couch with Defalt's rat mask sitting on top her head and she was making a face at the camera. He sighed as he weighed his options. It could have been nothing or it could have been something. He wouldn't know until he answered. The vigilante surrendered and hit the green button,

"Hello?"

"Aiden? Where are you?" He was a but surprised. Aleks sounded almost... the term would be scared. But that was off for her. She wasn't scared of anything, not even him.

"I'm in Pawnee taking care of something, why? What's going on?"

"Well, no wonder you haven't noticed. You're out west in the middle of fucking nowhere." He could hear the fake laughter. She was trying to comfort herself.

"Aleks!" He snapped softly. "What's going on?"

"The city is suffering from a blackout. We have an awful storm going on over here."

"Aleks, that's normal. Chicago is a windy city and we're known for our storms, just relax, alright? The power will-"

"Aiden, shut up and listen to me!" The vigilante fell silent. She sounded frantic now. "The club's been shut down because it was the source of the blackout. The power lines are dangling in front of the doors, transformers blew up and people have already gotten hurt! Pixel got everyone out of the club but she couldn't find Jay. I don't know where he is. I can't get inside because the cops have the place surrounded."

"How'd you even get everyone out?" Concern for his partner started to fill him.

"The back entrance, but the cops probably have that blocked off by now too."

"Alright, I'm on my way. Just stay in the area, keep out of sight and keep an eye out for him." She softly whispered 'alright'. The call was cut. He put his phone away and glanced over at his current assignment, a bunch gang members that were causing trouble. "I'll be back for you later. I've got more important shit to deal with it."

Aiden ran over to the car he had gotten fro Jordi, nothing special, just a stealth edition of the Papavero. It was a beautiful car and he tried not to treat it like he treated the other vehicles he had gotten in the past. He quickly got into the driver's seat, got the engine going and sped off towards the city. All red lights and signs were ignored.

* * *

JB felt weak and helpless for the first time in a long time. The last time he had this feeling was when he was getting chased by a certain vigilante and he thought his life would end. But right now there was no Aiden. It was just him, the silence and the darkness. He couldn't hear the storm outside anymore but he was locked in a soundproof room. No one could hear him. No one could save him.

"I'm going to die here," He whispered softly as he curled up into a ball on the couch. "I don't want to fucking die here but it's going to happen!" The DJ didn't seem to care that his little whimpers and sobs were steadily turning into a full blown temper tantrum.

"I just want to go home and go to bed and forget about this! I want this to be a fucking nightmare!" He hugged onto a throw pillow tightly. "I wish this never happened. I wish this stupid storm never fucking started! I wish Aiden just-" What did he wish the vigilante did? Maybe for the man to have killed him that night? Put an end to his life?

_No, no... no, no, no. I wouldn't wish for that! _JB throught frantically. _If, if he killed me then I wouldn't be with him! Aleks wouldn't have any friends! I... I'm happy he didn't kill me. I'm just, I'm just upset that... I'm stuck here and-_

"There's nothing I can do about it." He buried his face into the pillow and though he tried to fight back the tears, there was no stopping them. Not this time.

* * *

As Aiden entered Parker Square he saw what Aleks meant by awful storm. He drifted around corners with caution, not wanting to get into a crash and making himself useless to JB. The car was great but it didn't handle slick roads too well. When he a stretch of road he accelerated like it was no one's business, ignoring the horns and angry pedestrians that were still walking around.

"I don't have time to deal with this," He muttered angrily as he clicked a button on his phone. The bridge that separated him from the Loop started to rise and cars that were preparing to cross it backed off. He pressed down on the gas pedal and went soaring into the air. For just a few brief seconds the car flew through the sky and then gravity grabbed onto it, bringing it back down to the streets. He felt a slight pain when his car collided with the asphalt but he kept his foot on the gas. He had finally reached the Loop.

"Now I just need to find Aleks and Jay." He started tapping away on his phone until he was finally able to trace the female hacker's last call. She was hiding in some alleyway near the club. How the cops hadn't found her yet was no surprise to him. Aleks was small and easily missed in a crowd unless you were really looking for her. He silently pulled into an alleyway that was connected to the one she was in, killed the engine and made his way to her. He peered around the corner and saw a small figure huddled down, staring at something, most likely a phone.

"Aleks." She didn't hear him and for a moment he thought it was someone else but as he edged closer he saw that it was her. She probably just didn't hear him over the sirens, thunder and wind. He crouched down and put a hand on her shoulder. Aleks jumped a few feet in the air and stared at him with uncertainty until she realized it was him.

"You're finally here!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Now he knew that worry for JB was taking over her because this was unusual behavior. He sighed and patted her back. "You need to find Jay! I've tried to call him and text him and everything but there's no response. Aiden, what if he's hurt? What if he's dead? What if he-" The vigilante put a hand over her mouth.

"Enough with the what if's, alright?" She nodded her head and he withdrew his hand. "Alright, now relax. I'm going to go in there and find him. I want you to stay here and help me. I only need to distract the cops in any way you can. You think you can do that for me?" It was like speaking with a frightened child but he couldn't blame her. JB was her only friend aside from Pixel, but the latter was more of a work friend than anything else.

"Yeah, I can do that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few tiny devices. "What are those?"

"These are lures. They make different sounds that will attract their attention. They'll investigate it and it'll give me some time to get through. Only use them if you have no other options. Jam communications, distract them, use whatever you can besides those. You can only activate them one at a time so use them wisely." Aleks nodded her head again. "You going to be alright by yourself?" He saw a flash of the feisty hacker he knew.

"I can take care of myself," She huffed out. He chuckled and pulled up his mask before slowly walking out into the street, ducking behind a car. Aleks worked her magic and brought up her profile app. She scanned the cops for any signs of weak points and surprisingly found quite a few.

"Let's get to work," She whispered as she disabled any reinforcement calls. Then the real fun started when she clicked a button that jammed another cop's communication bud. He doubled over in pain as he clenched his head. She watched Aiden zip across the street and duck down behind another car. The next cop had no weak spot to manipulate so she grabbed a lure and tossed it away. With a click of a button the sound of a barking dog echoed through the rain. The cop was startled and started edging towards the source. Aiden took this opportunity and ducked into an alleyway. She would have been helpless if not for the camera. With a grin she hacked it and got a good view of the back. There was indeed a cop guarding the back entrance into the club. But he had a weak point: an active grenade.

"Oh please, oh please throw it away," She mumbled as she activated it. The cop started freaking out and patting himself down. She was filled with relief when he found the grenade and tossed it away. His post was abandoned to see what could have caused it to go off. Aiden slipped by him no problem and went into the club. Now all she could do was wait.

* * *

The inside of the club was wrecked for the most part. Tables and chairs were flipped over, glass and splashes of liquid were scattered all across the floor, there was even glowing jewelry that had been abandoned. He sighed and looked around. There was no sign of the DJ so far and he knew it wouldn't be easy to find him. With a storm raging outside there was no doubt in the vigilante's mind that his partner would find the best to spot to hide in until it died down.

"Just like a rat," Aiden whispered with a soft small. Like Aleks, JB was pretty small. Not as small as the female hacker but definitely small when compared to other males, so hiding wasn't a problem for him. "Now I just need to think like him. Where would I go if I were scared of thunderstorms?"

Somewhere quiet came to mind but then he was reminded that this was a club. Aiden suddenly grinned. That's right. This was a club and no doubt if you wanted to have a little privacy then you go to a soundproof room. He knew there were a few upstairs of them because he had been dragged into one by his eager lover to have a little private conversation. He made his way up to the second floor of the club and passed by Defalt's set. Under it was a familiar rat mask and beneath that was a cell phone with a few missed calls and texts. Aiden picked them up and continued onward down a hallway.

"This place is even more wrecked than the floor," He said as he looked around at all the fallen equipment that would probably cost a pretty penny to replace. More glass and alcohol was splashed across the floor. As he walked deeper in he started to wonder if JB was really down here.

"Not like I'll know since all these rooms are sound proof." Aiden sighed and made his way down the hall. He opened random doors but they were empty. He was about ready to give up until he found a particular door that was being blocked by equipment. He started to push it out of the way and reached for the handle. Slowly he opened it and peered inside. The room was dark but there was sound coming from inside. Someone was crying.

"Jay? Is that you?" Aiden asked hesitantly. The sobs suddenly stopped. The vigilante smiled and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "Jay, it's me. It's Aiden."

There was no speaking, not even his name. The only warning he got before a pair of arms were wrapped around his waist tightly was the sound of foot steps and heavy breathing. The kid was shaking violently and whimpering. Aiden could feel the fabric of his jacket soaking up the tears but he didn't care. Defalt was safe. That was all that mattered.

"Hey, it's alright. There's no reason for you to be scared of thunderstorms, Jay. They can't hurt you," He whispered soothingly as he rested his hands on the DJ's lower back. "We'll stay here until it blows over." The Fox started pulling his young partner over to the couch until the back of his legs hit it. He sat down and pulled Defalt down into his lap.

"Where's Aleks?" He muttered. "And Pixel?"

"Both safe." Aiden pulled out his phone. He tapped an app and located both of the bartenders. "Pixel is at home right now and Aleks is in the car I parked in the alley. Nothing bad will happen to her. Just like nothing bad will happen to you. Not while I'm around."

"Do you promise?" JB looked up at his partner. Aiden smiled and pressed a kiss to those pouting lips, happy that the DJ responded by kissing back, even if was only slightly. When they pulled away Aiden just stared into those piercing blue eyes and asked,

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes!" He always trusted his partner, no matter what.

"Alright then." That was the answer to JB's question and he was satisfied with it. Aiden's fingers carded through the dark hair, gently tugging on the strands that were colored blue. It made the kid squeak and the vigilante chuckled. "My little mouse."

"Don't call me that," JB muttered into the older man's chest. Another moment of silence passed. "When do you think the storm will end?"

"Not sure. But don't worry it, alright?" JB nodded and closed his eyes, content with the fact that he wasn't alone anymore. If being stuck in a club because of a Gods awful storm that caused a horrible blackout meant that he got to be with Aiden then he certainly wasn't going to complain.

"I love you, Aiden." He blushed as he uttered those words. The deep rumble that vibrated in his lover's chest just made it worse.

"Love you too, Jay."


End file.
